Light at the End of the Tunnel
by Qatari-Penguin
Summary: Ryou thought it would be just another Underground ride, but Bakura wasn't so sure...in memory of those dead and wounded in the July 7, 2005 London bombings.


"Light at the End of the Tunnel"

By: QatariPenguin

Darkness surrounded them as they sped underground, the occasional light flashing quickly by the windows as they raced past. The roar of trains rang in the tunnels, reverberating off the close walls and echoing for miles. Every day hundreds of trains traveled these electric tracks, hundreds of thousands of people through the tunnels that were known as the heart of the city. It was the oldest of its kind in the world, had provided transport for millions of commuters in the city, had sheltered many during the bombings of the wars, and this day seemed like any other.

Feeling the familiar rumble of the train beneath his feet, Ryou leaned against a support pole and closed his eyes. He had ridden the Underground for as long as he could remember and felt at home with it as any Briton did. Softly he swayed with the rhythm of the train as it carried him into the heart of London, trying to ignore the angry protests of his spirit in his head.

Bakura didn't like riding the subway; he wasn't comfortable being so far underground and hated the claustrophobic feel of the tunnels. Ryou had never understood this, seeing as Bakura had spent plenty of time in tombs in Egypt and obviously had no problem with always being underground then. Opening a chocolate eye, Ryou smirked as he saw the tense look on Bakura's face. The spirit was gripping the support pole next to him so tightly that his knuckles were turning white, and he glared darkly across the car at his hikari.

Suddenly the irate spirit froze, his pulse racing as he glanced quickly at Ryou, trying to see if the boy had sensed it. He had just felt a pulse of power, but not the kind the Millennium Items gave off. Puzzled, Bakura looked around the car they were riding in, but it was packed. He had to stand on his toes to see Ryou across the car and mentally cursed that they had gotten separated. All the morning commuters looked as though they hadn't felt anything, though many looked angry and nervous; Bakura attributed that to traveling.

Secretly wondering if he was hallucinating, the spirit's first idea was to go to Ryou, but he stopped himself. The boy would think he was crazy and paranoid and would remind him over and over again like when they had gotten on that they were perfectly safe. Opting to stay put, the tomb robber held tighter to the pole and looked directly at his hikari over the heads of the people between them. After a moment he caught the teenager's eye and gave him a very pointed look, deliberately not looking away to try and desperately make his point.

Staring into his dark's eyes, Ryou could see Bakura was serious. This wasn't him being apprehensive, something was truly wrong this time. Cursing under his breath that he couldn't get any closer, the teenager took his own look around the train, but like Bakura he couldn't see anything out of place. He looked back at the spirit and raised an eyebrow. Bakura narrowed his eyes momentarily and fingered the cord that held the Millennium Ring around his neck, then looked back at Ryou, hoping the boy would get the message.

As he was trying to make sense of Bakura's subtle hints the train rolled to a stop in a station and there was a mad push for the doors. Falling into the crowd of people that wanted to disembark at Russell Square, Ryou crossed the car and was nearly swept through the open doors. Growling, Bakura grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the way while a new group of people pushed on the train. Bakura pushed his other half against the wall and pinned him there with his back to him. Once everyone had boarded and the din had quieted somewhat Bakura turned to his hikari.

"Something's wrong," he hissed, glancing around nervously. "Don't ask questions, you'll stir a panic in these idiots."

"W-what is it?" Ryou asked anxiously, staring into his dark's tense eyes.

But Bakura was concentrating on something other than Ryou. He stared out the window, his eyes narrowed dangerously in concentration. Ryou knew better than to bother him when he got like that and leaned heavily against the wall, breathing deeply. Every couple of seconds Bakura would mutter something under his breath and cursed quite colorfully a few times, but he didn't say anything more to his hikari for a few long moments. Then quickly he pulled away from the window and put a hand on Ryou's shoulder, who jumped.

"Get down!" he ordered suddenly, thrusting all his weight onto Ryou's shoulder as a deafening thunder echoed through the tunnel. Collapsing from the force, Ryou felt the ground shake and Bakura threw himself down over his hikari, his arms protecting the boy's head. The tomb robber wasn't human, but Ryou was, and was perfectly vulnerable to flying glass.

Shouts and screams echoed in the train, but Ryou couldn't hear any of it. His heart was pounding in his ears and he gasped as the train car trembled beneath them. They had stopped moving after the first noise, sitting perfectly still on the tracks. Not sure what was happening, Ryou tried to open his eyes but found his head was tucked against Bakura's chest and he couldn't see anything. The spirit was breathing heavily and cursing, but he wouldn't stand up like many of the others had.

Without warning the train shook again, and then was blasted completely off the tracks as another explosion rattled the underground, this one much closer to them. Flashes of orange streaked by the windows and Bakura caught Ryou tightly in his arms as they fell against the opposite wall; the train had tipped on its side. Then came the rumble of noise, almost deafening with the screams of terror from the other passengers. Bakura's head hit the opposite wall sharply and he tightened his hold around Ryou as his vision went dark...

* * *

The first thing the spirit became aware of was Ryou's breath on his face. Eyes fluttering, the tomb robber groaned as he regained consciousness, then jumped when he couldn't see anything. For one fleeting moment he thought he'd gone blind from the impact, then his senses caught up with him and he realized they were in complete darkness. His arm was pressed tightly against the wall of the train and he could feel blood on his hands and face, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. Suddenly remembering his hikari, Bakura pressed his fingers desperately to the boy's neck.

There was a steady pulse, but it was weaker than normal. Not being able to see if he was hurt, Bakura leaned him against the wall and tried to find his way around in the darkness. It seemed like most of the people in the train were gone, but he stumbled over a body and immediately felt for a pulse. None. Fearing the worst, the spirit breathed relief when he spotted a lighter place in the darkness where the doors were open.

Scrambling back to Ryou, Bakura scooped him into his arms and maneuvered his way to the door. It was about a two-foot drop from the door to the tracks but Bakura jumped it easily and almost twisted his ankle when he landed on the concrete. Muttering more curses he readjusted his hikari in his arms, feeling the boy's head against his chest.

"We're getting out of here," Bakura whispered to him, but as he said it he felt a rush of doubt flow through him. He had no idea how he would find a way out in the utter darkness. But knowing his first step was most important, Bakura set off at a steady pace the opposite direction of the explosion, tripping and stumbling in the dark.

Everywhere he went there were corpses. The stench of blood was strong, but this time Bakura wasn't excited by it. Glass was everywhere and scrap metal littered the ground. The force of the explosion had demagnetized the tracks so they were safe to walk on, but Bakura hadn't even considered the idea that the tracks were electrified. His mind was blank except for one thought, which swirled in his head; he had to get Ryou and himself to safety, wherever that may be.

He walked for what seemed like hours in the dark tunnel, occasionally coming across another body. Some of the people he'd encountered had been alive but too injured to walk. He hadn't acknowledged them and had kept moving, knowing every moment he delayed was another moment ticked against Ryou's chance of survival. Now that the tunnels were deserted he could smell the blood on his arms wasn't his own, but his hikari's. He wasn't sure why his protectiveness had kicked in over the boy, but he wasn't going to give up.

Suddenly he spotted something in the far distance, almost like a beacon, and as he got closer he realized it was a light. Smiling, the spirit forced his tired legs into a run as he realized that this might be his only chance to get out of the maze of tunnels. Heart pounding, he tried to shout, but no sound came out of his parched throat. He had to escape!

"Wait!" Bakura managed to gasp, but he knew he wasn't loud enough. Still sprinting, he slowed to a stop as the tunnel curved sharply, then almost cried out in exasperation. What he'd seen had been nothing more than a reflection of another crashed train on the sleek walls of the tunnel. "No," he gasped, sinking to his knees. "No."

Looking around once again, Bakura saw the ash on the walls of the tunnel and crumbling bricks that had fallen onto the tracks. A tremor of despair cascaded through his limbs as he realized there would be no rescue for them. The tunnel was unstable, and he knew no humans would come to look for them while there was a chance that they might become trapped as well. Anger flaring in his chest, the tomb robber's hand closed around a rock by his feet. With fire blazing in his eyes he threw the rock as hard as he could against the wall, taking pleasure from the sound of it cracking against the brick.

Sweat and blood dripped into his face and he brushed it away with the back of his hand as he looked down at his hikari. He knew Ryou was hurt, much more seriously than he'd originally thought. The blood on his arms was growing stale and his heart almost stopped when he felt the boy's pulse. It was too dark to treat him, but Bakura found the source of the teenager's suffering. He'd been cut deeply along his side by a piece of flying glass, shards of which were still imbedded in his flesh. Gently Bakura touched the wound and his hikari winced visibly.

"No," he said again, this time in a whisper.

In his arms, Ryou continued to bleed.

* * *

Outside King's Cross, a huge crowd of everything from police men to schoolgirls had gathered. Frantic shouts between loved ones could be heard in the streets, but none of the officers tried to keep the mob away from the station. They knew it would be impossible. The explosions had caused a nation-wide panic throughout England, and the source had yet to be identified. A barrier of yellow tape had blocked the train station to anyone except a bomb squad.

Suddenly those nearest the police barrier gave a cry, and hundreds of heads turned in their direction. Through the scattered dust and rubble emerged a lone figure, a boy held tightly in his arms. His long white hair shone in the morning sunlight and the breeze tore at his bloody, tattered clothes. He walked slowly, and with a limp, and for a second held the crowd in a stunned silence. Then they came to their senses and yelled for a police officer, who immediately appeared. He too was mesmerized for a second by the scene in front of him before shouting orders.

Now only a few steps away from them, the white-haired boy stopped, his fathomless eyes looking at the teen in his arms, almost his exact copy. To the onlookers it seemed a smile crossed his face, then the world began to spin and he wavered on the spot.

As medics rushed forward to take the boy from his arms he whispered, "If you let him die, I swear I'll kill you all," before falling to the ground, unconscious.

Soft white light shone through the windows and cast warmth into the hospital, playing across the floors and on the bed of a certain white-haired spirit, who twitched and closed his eyes tighter against it. But instead of going away, it grew brighter until he almost couldn't stand it. Just as his temper flared the light vanished, and he could see someone in front of him.

Warm brown eyes gazed at him and a gently smile graced Ryou's lips as he looked down at his spirit. The mingled dust, sweat and blood that had been smeared on his face was gone, and warmth seemed to radiate from him. He was wearing white and looked remotely like an angel, if Bakura had believed in such things. Still smiling, Ryou brushed his bangs from his eyes and started to fade away into the bright light.

Suddenly Bakura sat up, his heart racing. Where was Ryou? Ignoring the pain in his ankle when he jumped up, the tomb robber dashed to the door of his room and wrenched it open. He looked down the hallway in both directions before jogging toward an open door a few away from his own. His feet slid on the highly polished tile floor. Applying the brakes, he caught himself in the doorframe and jumped into the room.

It was clear his sudden appearance had surprised the nurse almost as much as seeing an exact double of the patient she was attending. Ignoring her, Bakura hurried to his hikari's side and dropped to his knees beside the bed. Ryou's wound had been bandaged and he was breathing normally. His eyes were closed in sleep.

As Bakura dropped to his side Ryou's eyes fluttered open, and he looked up. Both pairs of brown eyes met each other for a moment before Ryou's lips broke into a pained smile.

* * *

In memory of those killed and wounded in the London bombings on July 7th, 2005, and to all the families that won't be expecting someone to return 


End file.
